Pirates of the Caribbean: Neptune's Curse
by TinkerbellxO
Summary: "It has been prophesied that a daughter of the sea will fall in love with a king and when she faces death's door, he will have to chose whether or not to sacrifice himself to save her." Jack thought back to when Elizabeth had passed her proverbial Pirate King crown on to him. "Not good," he gasped before throwing back another tankard of rum.
1. Prologue

_A/N: I do not own POTC or any of its characters. I only own the story line and my original characters._

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><p><span>Pirates of the Caribbean: Neptune's Curse<span>

Prologue

The babe was born at the heart of the storm of the century, when the winds blew as hard and as fast as the crack of a whip and its vicious roar conquered the sound of her first cries. As she made her way out into the world, the waves, well over fifty feet tall, crested over the bow of the ship. It swayed back and forth with each punishing blow.

When her mother finally held her for the first time, she found the baby's skin to be as pale as her father's, nothing like her own dark visage. In fact, the woman realized that her baby bore no resemblance to her at all. She wasn't sure if that made it easier or harder for her to do what she had to do . . . to give her up.

The baby girl looked back at her mother with eyes the color of the ocean. As lightning flashed and lit up the sky and their small cabin, the newborn's hair shown to be as white as snow.

_It will be easier for her_; the woman thought bitterly, _no one will ever know who she is.__  
><em>  
>And before she could become any more attached to the sweet smelling bundle in her arms, she passed her off to the ship's captain.<p>

He took her carefully, a worried look in his eyes and a nervous smile playing on his lips.

"What would you like us to call her?" he asked kindly.

She looked away, a tear forming in her eye.

"Adrianna," she replied so softly he wasn't sure she had even spoken.

He had never heard such a name before and shifted uneasily at the thought of giving the baby he was to take into his family such an unusual moniker.

As if she could read his mind she spoke fiercely in her thick accent, "It means 'from the Adriatic,' where she was conceived. I may not be able to keep my daughter, and she can never be told from whom she came, but she needs to know about Neptune's curse."

He looked down at the girl he would now call his own. And though she was not of his own flesh and blood, he felt himself become overwhelmed at the sight of her.

"Adrianna," he whispered reverently, and then he stilled.

"Neptune's curse?" he asked.

But when he looked up, the woman had disappeared. All that was left in her place was a gold medallion embossed with the shape of a trident and a baby that began to cry in want of her mother.

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><p>It wasn't until he saw the frown on his wife's face that he actually thought about what he had taken upon himself and his family.<p>

Two weeks after Adrianna's birth, Captain William Taylor had docked in Port Royal. His wife, Isabella, had come to greet him after a year apart and when she saw the small child in his arms, her displeasure became very apparent. That night he had slept on a daybed near the simmering kitchen fire since she thought he had brought the result of one his indiscretions home for her to raise. No matter what he said, she refused to believe the baby now living under their roof was not her husband's child.

That was until one day about a month later.

Though she was unhappy with the arrangement, she was a good woman and a good mother and attended to the baby's needs, albeit begrudgingly. She had eager helpers when it came to their four boys who had welcomed Adrianna with open arms. In fact, they seemed to worship the beautiful baby girl they had already come to call their sister.

The family had just seen Captain Taylor to the docks where he was to set sail on a four month voyage around the island of Cuba on a trade mission under the order of Governor Swan. As they walked back, the boys fought over who would carry Adrianna home. They became rambunctious and Adrianna began to wail. The sky started to darken and the sea became choppy. As James, the eldest at age nine, attempted to hold her up and away from his younger brothers, Adrianna slipped from his hands and fell into the gray water surrounding the docks.

Isabella cried out, hoping that one of the sailors who were close by would rescue Adrianna from the murky depths. James decided it was up to him to jump in after her but as he climbed the railing of the dock, the water began to bubble from below and Adrianna appeared on its surface. The water surrounding her continued to rise, like a fist from the sea, holding the baby safe in its grasp. Isabella ran to grab the baby and when she was finally safe in her arms, she held her tight to her chest.

Isabella began to cry, sure that the infant would not have survived the ordeal. But when she looked down she found Adrianna very much alive. And she was smiling!

The storm clouds cleared and the sea calmed.

It was in that moment that Isabella became convinced that not only was this child not her husband's . . . she also may not be human.

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><p><em>AN: I am back with another POTC fic. And though you have no reason to trust me, I will be finishing this one. I already have this story planned out, unlike what I have done in the past. I promise adventure, sword fights, sea monsters and lots of action behind closed doors involving a certain dashing pirate captain. So please, give this story and shot and let me know what you think!_

_Tink_


	2. Chapter 1

_A/N: I do not own POTC or any of its characters. I only own the storyline and my original characters._

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><p>Pirates of the Caribbean: Neptune's Curse<p>

Chapter One

"Addy!"

"Adrianna!"

"Adrianna Taylor!"

Finally her mother gave up and resorted to ringing the large bell by the back door, calling her daughter home.

Down at the docks, Adrianna popped out of a barrel. Her eyes wide, she peeped over the top, scanning the area. She heard boots approaching from behind and then two strong hands grabbed her from under her arms and pulled her from the barrel, dropping her feet first on the deck of the ship.

"Trying to run away again, Miss Taylor?"

She turned around to see Danny, one of her father's crew, with his arms crossed in front of him and a stern look on his handsome face.

"Stop it with the 'Miss Taylor' stuff, will you Danny? It's just 'Addy,'" she huffed.

"Well excuse me, Miss Addy," he bowed mockingly.

She pointed at him with narrow eyes, "You're having a go at me. Aren't you?"

He recoiled dramatically and put his hand to his chest.

"Me?" he asked. "Never!"

And then he winked.

She may have only been eleven years old, but every time he winked at her she felt her knees go weak and her cheeks flush. This time was no different.

He mercifully let her obvious reaction slide and instead focused on the matter at hand.

"What is this? The third time you've tried to sneak on this ship in the past two days?" he ruffled her loose curls.

"Fourth!" she exclaimed proudly.

"And what would happen if we were to have set sail and you were stowed away on this ship?" he asked.

"It's not like it hasn't happened before," she taunted.

In fact it had happened six times before; the first time when she was five years old. They found her in the ship's hold a full two days into their journey. Luckily they had only been on a month long voyage. Mrs. Taylor was a mess when they returned. Addy didn't walk straight for a week from the hiding she received from her mother.

"Why's a young lady like you so eager to sail the seas?" he asked.

She let go of a deep breath and dramatically shook her head.

"The sea just feels like home for me. Papa says I was born at sea. I feel like my life should be lived at sea."

"Well too many more tricks like today and you'll end up dying at sea, or worse," he replied gravely. He cared for the young girl, but since he had joined Captain Taylor's crew he knew she was trouble. And while he believed that she would have made a fine sailor, he acknowledged that there were too many dangers for a woman at sea.

"Oh Danny, what could be worse than death?" she teased him.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to ask questions? Now," he grabbed the tops of her shoulders, spun her around and gave her a small shove, "off you go. Home with you. And don't let me catch you back here again or I'll be telling your mother on you!"

She started to run at that and she was home in a flash. She gently opened the back door and tiptoed into the living room.

"She isn't going to be fooled."

Addy found her second eldest brother, Peter, sitting in a chair by the window with one of his law books in his hands.

"Mother's been calling for you for over an hour," he said.

"Is she upset?" Addy asked.

"Well she isn't happy. You had lessons planned for today. You're tutor left because you weren't here."

"I don't need all this schooling. I'm going to become a sailor like Papa, James, and Christopher," she replied.

"Addy, you're the daughter of one of the most successful sea captains of Port Royal. Papa is invited to dine with Governor Swann each time he makes port. I don't think sailor is a suitable life's calling for a woman of your status."

In the past Addy and Peter had been close. But when he entered his fifteenth year and started taking an interest in studying law instead of following in his father and older brothers' footsteps, she found he'd become much too boring for her tastes.

"I am going to become the best sailor in the world Peter Taylor and there is nothing you can do about it," and she stuck out of her tongue at him.

When he rolled his eyes in response, she huffed and figured she might as well go see her mother and get it over with.

The moment she entered the kitchen, Isabella grabbed her daughter and began to wipe at the dirt on her cheeks with a wet cloth. The servants that were busy preparing the meal began to quietly chuckle in amusement.

"Adrianna, where have you been? You've been playing on the docks again, haven't you?"

"I was just walking around town Mama," she pulled away from her mother's grasp, "and please don't fuss over me!"

Her mother threw her hands up in frustration, "Adrianna Taylor what am I going to do with you? Here I am, in need of assistance for your father's going away dinner, and you're covered in soot . . . and do I smell gun powder?"

"Mama, you know I'm a horrible cook," Addy said as she stuck both her fists on her hips.

"That's because you are never home for me to teach you to cook or even how to run a kitchen!" her mother cried as she mimicked her daughter's stance.

Though they were not related, it was amazing how much the one looked and acted like the other sometimes. But Addy didn't know that she was not actually a Taylor. Isabella had the same ash blonde hair as Addy and both possessed delicate features. The only obvious difference was that Isabella's eyes were a deep chocolate color while her adopted daughter's shone like the sea. Because of this, the Taylors figured that Adrianna's origins could and should be kept between them as well as James who had been the only boy old enough to understand the situation. The rest of the boys didn't really remember how Addy came to be part of the family. No one was the wiser.

"What are we having?" she asked, hoping to sidestep her mother's anger.

"Now you will just have to wait until tonight to find out," her mother replied and she walked over to speak with Lucia who was chopping the vegetables.

Patience was not a virtue that Addy possessed. In fact, she was a rather curious and tempestuous child. Isabella knew that the best way to punish Addy was to make her wait for something.

"Is it scrod again?" Addy whined.

"I have told you time and time again, there is no way that the fish we get for our dinner can speak to you," she laughed nervously, encouraging the rest of the kitchen to do the same.

"The fish at the docks talk to me. Why can't the fish from the market talk to me?" Addy asked.

Her mother swept over to her, grabbed her arms and kneeled down so she was eye level with her daughter. In a low voice she explained, "You can never tell anyone else about that. Understand me?"

Isabella thought back to that first incident, where instead of swallowing Addy up, the ocean had safely delivered the baby back into her arms. After that Isabella noticed an unexplainable influence that Addy had over water, making it jump and dance with just a flick of her hand. She seemed to be able to communicate with sea creatures. And she always knew whether it would be a good or a bad day out at sea.

Knowing that look on her mother's face meant she had hit her limit, all Addy could do was concede, "Yes, Mama."

Isabella let go of Addy's arms and then returned to her work.

"Go see what your father is up to and tell him dinner will be ready in an hour or so. I think he was going to Mr. Brown's to pick up his sword."

Isabella barely got the request out before Addy had flown out the kitchen and the back door.

She ran all the way to Mr. Brown's, not even stopping to say hello to Mr. Chesterton's pet pig that was tethered to the post outside The Bride's Head. When she finally made it to the shop, she took a heaving breath before opening the door. Inside she found her father talking with Mr. Brown and her friend Will cleaning around the shop.

The boy hadn't noticed her arrival and in sport she snuck up behind him and covered his eyes with her hands.

"Who is it?" he squeaked, surprised by the invasion.

In as deep a voice as she could muster she replied, "It's the dreaded Captain of the Black Pearl, give me all of your gold!"

Her father heard her and scolded, "Adrianna, stop terrorizing poor William."

She dropped her hands from Will's eyes and her shoulders slumped, "Papa, I was just having a bit of fun."

Her father gave her a stern look, but he couldn't stay serious for long and let his warm smile sneak through.

"Just be careful in here. Can't imagine your mother would be very happy if I brought you home wounded. This is a blacksmith shop you know."

She smiled back at him, "Yes papa, I understand," and then turned her attention to Will who had been waiting patiently for her.

"Want to go down to the docks and watch the ships come in?" she asked him.

His head sagged a bit as he looked at the floor, "Can't. Have to get the shop cleaned up by sundown for Mr. Brown."

"We'll only go for a bit. I promise you'll be back in time to finish the job," she started but then had an idea.

"Better yet! Why don't I help clean this place up? We'll be done in half the time and then we can go down to the docks. Mama said dinner wouldn't be ready for an hour or so," she paused and spoke a little louder, "Hear that Papa?! Mama said dinner would be ready in an hour or so!"

He chuckled, "Aye, Addy. I will be there."

She once again looked back at Will, "What do you say? Let's get started!"

Before he could even answer she found the broom but he grabbed it from her hands.

"No Addy, it's not right. You're not supposed to do this kind of work," Will told her.

This was the second time today that someone had informed her of her so-called place in life. She noticed that as she grew older it was happening more and more. She had even heard her mother talking with the ladies that so often visited for tea about her future prospects for marriage. And how many times had her mother hidden her breeches on her so she would be forced to wear a dress?

_You're too old to be dressing like a boy, Adrianna, _her mother would say.

But with a wink, her father would always tell her where she could find them.

"William Turner, this is not the first time that I've helped you clean up this place. What in the world could be different now?" she was angry.

Will became bashful and looked away from her, "Peter told me I need to start treating you like a lady. I can't be running around town with you."

She let out a very unladylike noise, "Don't listen to Peter. He's an old git who doesn't like anyone to have fun. Now let's get to work, shall we?"

She grabbed the broom back from Will and started to sweep. They were done in half an hour and headed to the port. Adrianna knew she only had a few minutes before she had to get back home, but was hoping to catch at least one ship come in before then.

The two sat peacefully on the dock, their legs dangling over the edge.

"Have you seen Elizabeth lately?" she asked, breaking their companionable silence.

Elizabeth Swann was the daughter of the Governor of Port Royal. The three of them had become fast friends when Elizabeth and Will had first arrived in Port Royal two years ago. For a season they had run around the island, causing mayhem wherever they could. But when Governor Swann found out that it was his own daughter that was stuffing the fort's cannons with seaweed, he decided it was time to keep a closer watch on Elizabeth. It had been several months since she had been able to sneak out of the governor's mansion.

"I saw her at the market yesterday but she was with her tutor," he replied sadly.

"Probably teaching her how to properly stock a household," Adrianna said in a ridiculously pompous tone.

Will laughed quietly, "Not all girls are as against womanly duties as you are, Addy."

"Elizabeth isn't looking for that kind of life, Will, and you know it. She's just like me. Her father just has more eyes on her than mine does," Addy replied, silently thanking her stars for that.

"Well, what do we have 'ere?"

The two turned to find an obviously inebriated man, leaning heavily on the lamp post at the head of the dock, blocking their way.

They both immediately jumped to their feet and, being the young gentleman that he was, Will stepped in front of Addy.

"Two li'tle love birds? Awww, and aren't you a pretty lass," he started to stagger towards them.

"Sir, let us be on our way," Will's voice wavered.

"Don't worry lad, we can have some fun," he wheezed, "but first, I want to get a nice taste of the li'tle lass here."

He reached out, knocking Will to the side and made to grab Addy. But when he touched her he was thrown back onto his bottom by an invisible force.

"What in hell, you bitch!" he cried as he grappled to his feet, "Oh, you will pay for that my dear."

Addy was still in shock over what she had just done but the moment he tried again she pushed against him and this time he flew right into the water. As he started to swim back to the dock, something beneath the surface grabbed his leg, like a hand. It was joined by another hand and then another and then another until he felt several hands grabbing at him.

"Addy!" she turned to see her father running towards her.

He got there in time to watch as the drunkard was dragged under the sea. He did not resurface.

"Addy," he said again, with fear in his eyes. He had seen the man fly backwards just from his daughter's touch. She looked at him and saw his fright. She then looked at Will who had a similar expression on his face.

She held up her hands. They appeared to be normal. But how could they do what she just did?

She looked back at both of the men, and then took off, running past her father and leaving him and Will in her dust.

When she got back home, she locked herself in her room.

That night, despite the fact that it would be the last meal she thought she would share with her father in several months, she refused to come down for dinner. After her brothers and the servants had gone to bed she snuck downstairs to find her parents relaxing by the fire in the sitting room.

"I agree with you. Her powers are growing stronger. And yes, we need to find a way to control them or everyone will find out about her gifts," her father said quietly.

"I wouldn't call them 'gifts,' Billy," her mother sighed tiredly, "What did you tell Will?"

"I think he was a bit too terrified to realize what actually happened. The man was drunk after all. I merely suggested that he was too far gone to swim and walked him back to Mr. Brown's," he paused, "At least we know Addy can take care of herself."

"This is not a time for jokes Billy. What are we going to do with her?" Isabella asked.

"We could always tell her - "

"No," her mother interrupted, "that is never an option."

"We agreed that we would tell her one day."

"She is still a child. Now is not the time," her mother said in a tone that ended the conversation.

After a moment of silence, Isabella spoke again, "It's time for Addy to put away the breeches and start acting like a proper girl. No more running around town like a ragamuffin. No more playing pirates. A young girl like her needs to start learning how to run a household, not how to sail a ship."

"That is never going to be our Addy," her father shook his head.

"But she isn't 'ours' now, is she?" Isabella bit back.

Addy felt her heart stop and her knees buckle. She fell back from the door she had been hiding behind and her head smacked against a pedestal holding a model ship. The decoration crashed to the floor. She heard footsteps heading towards her hiding spot and she took off to her room, slamming and locking the door once more.

"Addy," her father pounded loudly against the solid wood.

"Addy let me in," he pleaded.

But she would not come out. She just sat in the far corner of the room and let the salty tears stream down her face. Outside the wind began to howl and the sea grew wild.

Even the next day, when her father came to say goodbye before he cast off for his next voyage, she would not come out.

"Addy," he said through the door, "Addy, no matter what, I love you."

If she had known she would not see him again for a decade, maybe she would have said "I love you" back.

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><p><em>AN: Now you know a bit more about our heroine, Adrianna. Quite the spitfire isn't she? Thanks to Linalove for her encouragement, as always. If you have any comments, please review?_

_Thanks!_

_Tink_


	3. Chapter 2

_A/N: I do not own POTC or any of its characters. I only own the storyline and my original characters._

_**Please take a look at the new summary of this story as it has been changed and reflects a major shift in the narrative. Thank you!**_

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><p>Pirates of the Caribbean: Neptune's Curse<p>

Chapter Two

Adrianna had never minded wearing black. In fact, wearing her black breeches had made it much easier for her to play around without her clothes showing too much dirt. It was only when she soiled her light clothes that her mother got angry.

But this time was different. Not because she had been forced to wear a black dress, but because this particular frock was her mourning dress. It was the dress she wore just the year before after her Aunt had died. And now she wore it in mourning for her father and brothers who had been declared "lost at sea."

Captain Taylor's six-month journey had come to close but when they received no word about his return, the family grew nervous for their patriarch and two eldest boys. For two months, Isabella suffered silently with no word from her husband. And Addy started to wonder if the last thing she'd ever see of her father was the look of horror on his face after he witnessed that man drown off the docks that fateful night.

Why hadn't she told her papa that she loved him the morning he left? Why hadn't she thrown open the door and made him carry her all the way down to the dock like she did every time he took off on one of his voyages? Now she wasn't sure she'd ever have a chance to do those things again.

She hadn't had the heart to ask her mother what she had meant.

_But she isn't _ours_, is she? _

The question haunted her. She certainly looked like her mama, but no one else in her family had any of those _special_ _talents_ that she possessed. Maybe she wasn't a Taylor.

That is what she was thinking while she sat in her black dress at the breakfast table one rainy morning when her train of thought was broken by a loud knock at the front door.

Richard, the family's butler answered it and escorted the man in uniform to the parlor where Isabella, Peter, the youngest boy George and Adrianna gathered. Adrianna realized it was the same man who had visited them a month prior to tell the family the unfortunate news that her father and brothers had not been heard from for months. She noticed his facial expression was just as grim as it was on that day.

"Mrs. Taylor, I regret to inform you that your husband, Captain William Taylor, and your sons James and Christopher, have fallen victim to piracy and are now presumed dead," the officer said.

The last thing Adrianna remembered from that day is Isabella collapsing into a chair and her brothers running to comfort their mother.

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><p><em>Six years later . . .<em>

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to beat me, Will!" Adrianna laughed as she dodged a particularly sloppy advance from her friend.

"Well you _are_ at a bit of an advantage, Addy," Will replied angrily.

"Fine," she walked over to him and took off the blindfold he had been wearing, "but I'm not the one who wanted to sharpen my other senses."

"All I said was I wondered how Old Man Murphy was able to walk around Port Royal blind as a bat. You're the one who suggested I try sparring blindfolded."

"I think it's always a good idea to take everything one step further. So if you're not interested in honing your sword-handling skills, I'll give it a go," she said mischieviously as she tied the blindfold tightly around her head.

"Now, come at me," she steadied herself, waiting for his move. But it never came because at that moment the door to the blacksmith shop opened.

"Miss Swann," she heard Will gasp quietly.

Addy let out an audible sigh. She knew their practicing was over for the day now. She took off her blindfold to see both of her friends staring at each other.

_It's as if she's surprised to see Will here, at his place of employment, _she thought to herself.

"G'morning Lizzie," she waved from behind Will.

"Goodmorning Addy," Elizabeth replied and then turned back to the object of her obvious affection, "Goodmorning Will."

"Goodmorning Miss Swann," he greeted her.

Addy looked between both of them, a bit envious of their situation. Not that she cared for Will in that way. He had become like one of her brothers and he was an excellent sparring partner. After all, he was probably the only person her age on the island that was as skilled with a sword as she was.

But while most seventeen-year-olds in Port Royal were busy settling into their position or trade and working on making a good match, Addy had one thing on her mind: becoming a skilled sailor so that when her chance came, she could take a crew to search for her father. Everyone thought her crazy. He had been gone for years; he had to be dead. But she was convinced her father was out there somewhere, alive. She could feel it in her bones, in her very soul.

Because Captain Taylor had been attacked while on a trade mission for the crown, Governor Swann had been very generous in helping her family maintain their way of life over the years. But her mother was heartbroken from losing the love of her life and had mostly given up on Adrianna. And that is why Addy did not attend debutante balls and other social events meant for young ladies of her social standing. The one exception she had made was for Lizzie's debut ball a few months prior but she had almost caused an international incident when one of the young admirals discovered she was not wearing heels, but rather her boots.

For Addy, life was more than fancy parties and courting. In the six years since her father had been declared dead, Addy had done nothing but learn to sword fight, handle herself in a fist fight, navigate a course, trim the sails and tie every kind of sailor's knot. She'd spend time in the local taverns, interviewing sailors in port for a few days about their travels and whether they had heard anything about Captain Taylor. She'd even gone on a few short trips around the islands and she had to say, when she was on the open ocean she felt most at home, free and liberated.

But what might have been most important is that she had also been working on her other powers. She was now able to create fairly large waves with just her concentration. And she could communicate with every sea creature, from minow to octopus, that she had encountered. She wasn't sure how that would help in her the future, but she figured that every tool and talent available to her was worth developing.

"What can I help you with?" Will finally asked Elizabeth.

"Actually, I came to find Addy," she rushed forward to her friend and it was only then that Addy noticed the flush on Elizabeth's face, as if she had been running.

She grabbed both of her friend's shoulders and said something Addy would never forget, "Your brother, Christopher, he's home!"

"What?" Addy asked, "How do you know?"

"I went to call on you and ran into Peter on the way. He told me Christopher is back and he was on his way down and tell you but I insisted on bringing you the good news. Your brother is home, Addy!"

Addy dropped the blindfold and the sword she had been holding and took off. It was the fastest she'd ever run. She didn't even notice the looks of disgust and outrage as she bolted through the center of town, her heart beating a mile a minute. Finally she reached her front door and she threw it open. Looking around, she heard voices coming from the kitchen and she hurried to join the jubilation. As she entered she saw her mother, her brothers Peter and George and another young man who looked haggard and exhausted. He hadn't shaved in months, and his hair was down to his mid back. But after six years apart, she could still recognize the eyes of her brother, Christopher.

She felt herself begin to well up as she ran over and threw her arms around him. She couldn't talk, couldn't find the words to tell him how happy she was that he was home. All that came out was a joyful sob. As she buried her face into his chest, she could smell the sea and instantly calmed.

He put his hands on her shoulders and stepped back away from her, his smile infectious.

"Adrianna, look how you've grown!"

He meant how she'd aged, since she really hadn't grown much since he'd disappeared. But she imagined that when he had left she'd looked like a little girl and despite her penchant for wearing men's clothing, she had now filled out and looked very much like a woman.

"I'm sure you have suitors lining up for you," he continued.

She laughed and he wiped at the tears that escaped down her cheeks. She didn't think she could get any happier, but the inevitable question had to be asked.

"Where is father? Where's James?" Addy spoke softly.

Christopher cleared his throat, and in a much more mature and raspy voice that she remembered him having, he replied simply, "Kidnapped."

"By whom?" her mother ask him, "Where did this happen?"

"We hit a storm off the coast of Dominica about a month into the voyage. Left the ship a bit worse for the wear. So when we were ambushed and boarded by pirates a few days later, we didn't stand a chance," Christopher looked away from his family as he continued to recount his ordeal.

We were taken aboard the ship, _The Black Pearl_. I can't even tell you what we encountered during our time in the hold. You'd never believe the horrors we witnessed and her Captain was hard and cruel," her brother looked haunted now.

Adrianna took his hand and brought him over to a stool near the kitchen window and he collapsed onto it.

"We were traded like slaves to another ship after three months of torture. For five years we survived, going from ship to ship, dealing with pirate after pirate. James and I realized that if we were to cooperate with the pirates, to appear as if we turned pirate, we would be allowed to roam the ship freely and possibly escape at the next port."

He looked away, as if ashamed, "But father refused to join our rouse and so we stayed until he finally told us to save ourselves. "

His head hung down and he took a deep breath.

"Two weeks ago, The Queen Anne's Revenge docked in Tortuga and while in port I was able to barter my way on to a private ship that was stopping in Port Royal."

"So Father is still on that ship? Where is James?"

"James said he would not leave father but told me to try and escape so I could hopefully make it back here to tell you that they are alive. But I don't know for how much longer. Both are in good health but Captain Blackbeard is not a fair man. He has been known to kill for sport. How we managed to stay alive is a miracle."

As her brother continued to recount the six years he had been missing, Addy realized that this was the sign she had been waiting for.

The next day she went down to the docks to ask her old friend, Danny, to get her on his next ship out. She was going to find her father.

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><p><em>AN: Thanks to Linalove, Kit-cat99 and Nikkitosa for their encouragement. If you have any comments, please review?_

_Thanks!_

_Tink_


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: I do not own POTC or any of its characters. I only own the storyline and my original characters.

A/N (2): Sorry it's been a while - the holidays and all. I tried to make up for it with a longer chapter. Just so you know, this is a Jack/OC story. It just needs to get their and I want Addy to have more of a back story. Hope you enjoy!

**This is when this story takes a turn for the more mature. Nothing graphic in this chapter but be warned, this story will be going in that direction.**

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><p>Pirates of the Caribbean: Neptune's Curse<p>

Chapter Three

The small bag she had packed was sitting by her bedroom door. Now all Adrianna had to do was tell her mother that she was leaving tomorrow morning. She crept downstairs to see her, sitting by the window, staring out into the abyss. She had done this most evenings since her husband had disappeared. Addy believed that she was watching the horizon, waiting for his ship to arrive.

"Mama?" she asked quietly.

But her mother did not acknowledge her.

"Mama?" she said a bit louder.

Isabella turned towards her daughter. Addy could see the tears running down her face.

"Hm?" she hummed.

Addy opened her mouth to tell her she was going to find papa; she was going to do it and no one could keep her from her mission. But the look on her mother's face stopped her in her tracks.

"I'm going to call on Elizabeth. Any message for Governor Swann?" she lied.

Her mother turned away again, "Send him our regards."

For her mother not to even comment on Addy's breeches made it known that today was a particularly bad day for Isabella Taylor.

"Yes, mama," Addy replied.

She left the house, intending to walk around town for a while when a thought struck her. She took off for the Swann residence where she found Elizabeth sitting in the garden, overlooking the busy port.

"Lizzie, I need you to do me a favor," Addy said grabbing her friend's hands.

"Of course, Addy," Elizabeth replied.

"I need you to deliver a message to my mother the day after tomorrow."

"Why am I delivering it? Why can't you deliver it yourself?" she asked suspiciously.

Addy took a deep breath, "Because by the time everyone wakes tomorrow I will be well on my way to find my father and James, and I won't be back for about a year."

Lizzie's eyes widened in shock.

"Addy you can't be serious," she said, though Addy could detect a sense of jealousy.

It was no secret that Elizabeth was just dying to go on an adventure and escape the well-known affections of one Captain Norrington. In fact, Addy had heard rumours that he planned to propose to her friend after his promotion ceremony tomorrow. Addy just could not see Lizzie as the wife of a Commodore. After all, she knew her friend's affections were already reserved for one person: Will Turner.

"He is alive Lizzie, and so is James. Christopher is too sickly to go after them. Peter is not trained in sailing and George, well, George is too delicate. The only one that can do this is me."

Elizabeth remained silent for a moment, scrutinizing her dear friend. She saw the look of determination on Addy's face and knew that their would be no talking her out of this. She was one of the most stubborn people Elizabeth had ever met.

She stood up and motioned for Addy to follow her inside where they landed in the sitting room. Elizabeth set out a piece of her personal stationery and a quill and pulled the chair away from the writing desk.

"Sit. Write." she motioned.

Addy smiled as she followed her friend's directive.

"Thank you so much Lizzie!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Your mother is going to kill me when I deliver this message and then you won't be here for my funeral."

"Ah, but don't forget dear Will! He will avenge your death!" Addy teased and Elizabeth's cheeks went pink.

"Addy, you know you shouldn't talk like that."

"Fine," Addy shrugged her shoulders as she continued to write, "but don't forget who gets to be maid of honor when you become Mrs. William Turner!"

She heard Elizabeth flop down on the couch with a groan behind her and Addy just laughed.

She left the message in the left drawer of the writing desk and Elizabeth promised to deliver it no earlier than the day after tomorrow.

The next morning Addy snuck out even before the servants had woken. She watched the sunrise over Port Royal from far out at sea while standing on the deck of _The Legacy_, Danny standing by her side.

In that moment, she was at peace. She did not know that that night Port Royal would be attacked by _The Black Pearl_. She did not know that Elizabeth would be kidnapped by pirates. She did not know that the letter she had asked to be delivered would sit undisturbed in the writing desk of the Swann residence for a year. And she didn't know that her mother would weep for her daughter every day, believing her to have been kidnapped by pirates.

_Two months later_

The old ship's cook, Sam, was slaving away down in the galley when Addy brought down the last carton of sea biscuits. It was her turn to help restock the supplies after their most recent trip ashore. And she was frustrated.

This was the third port she had visited in search of her father and still no word, not even a trace of where he and her brother might be.

Sam sensed her irritation and handed her a boiled egg, a rare treat to be found on a pirate ship, with a grin.

"Thanks," she replied, cracking a small smile to show her genuine gratitude.

"You'll find 'em, lass. We're docking in every major port in the Caribbean on this voyage and someone is bound ta know something about your family. This may be a big ol' world, but pirates love to wag their tongues," he said in his gruff, but playful, voice.

She perked up and her smile grew, "I hope you're right. At least I am getting an adventure out of all of this. Not many women I know can say they sailed around the world as part of a merchant crew for a year."

He wiped his hands with a rag and patted her arm, "That's the spirit."

"Addy!" she heard Danny call from above deck.

"Thanks again, Sam," she said as she made her way upstairs.

Sam turned back to his work with a grunt.

"What do you think she's really here for?" he heard his assistant, Tom, ask him from the table where he was peeling vegetables.

"She's here ta find her family," he sighed, "like ye just heard."

"We've never taken on charity cases b'fore," Tommy replied.

"Well I think the fact that she can trim the sails, swab the decks, and handle a sword better than you certainly helps her position," Sam chuckled as his assistant's cheeks turn red.

Sam walked over to the bottom of the stairs to the deck where he could see the rest of the crew busying about, "And she ain't bad to look at neither. But I think the real reason the young missy is onboard is that our dear first mate has a fondness for the pretty young thing."

He spotted Danny helping Addy cut new lengths of rope by the mast and spotted the twinkle in the young man's eye.

He shook his head and went back to work.

_Three months later_

They had just completed a very lucrative trade deal for Governor Swann in Havana so the crew decided to celebrate. Many of the men went ashore to partake in the local revelry and patronize some of the islands finest bordellos but a good sized group stayed back onboard to drink and dance the night away.

A few of the crew had pulled out their instruments and were playing a rather lively jig when Danny asked Addy to dance. Immediately she accepted and the two twirled madly for most of the night to the sounds of the guitars, fiddle and drum.

During a rather lively tune, Addy slipped on a patch of water and fell right into Danny's arms. He wasn't sure if it was drunk on their recent success or the copious amounts of rum he had consumed, but in that moment with her sun-kissed skin and white blonde curls that shone like a mermaid's in the moonlight, even in her breeches Addy was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

He leaned forward and captured her lips in a heated kiss. Addy felt her arms settle around his neck. He surprised her by picking her up and wrapping her legs around his middle, deepening their embrace.

The next thing she knew she felt her legs drop and she was pressed up against his cabin door, a look of hunger in his eyes that Addy had never seen before. He reached around her waist and with little protest from her, she was pulled flush against his chest.

"You know, Danny, when you offered to share your cabin with me when we started this voyage I thought you were doing it to protect me from the rest of the crew. Not keep me all to yourself," Adrianna said as she pushed him back so that he was at arm's length.

"Addy, yer driving me mad," he said in a voice thick with lust.

Her heart skipped a beat. Here was a man she thought she had been in love with since she was way too young to have those kind of feelings telling her he had to have her. It was almost too good to be true.

She closed the distance between them and kissed him deep and hard. Her forehead fell against his. With a sly smile she replied, "Well, we can't have you going mad."

With that he picked her up once more, carried her over to his bed, and they didn't leave the cabin until the next afternoon.

_Six months later_

They had been at sea for 11 months. In every port they had stopped, Addy had gone ashore to look for her father and brother James, to get some kind of information on their whereabouts. But no one had heard anything in years from Captain Taylor.

One sailor in Port-au-Prince had been aboard _The Black Pearl _when her father and brothers were first kidnapped. But he had left the crew before they had been traded to another ship. Another man had met Christopher when he was on his way back to Port Royal. And anytime she mentioned _The Queen Anne's Revenge_ all she received was looks of horror and doors slammed in her face.

Not only had the mission so far been a failure, her rather tempestuous relationship with Danny had cooled, at least on her end. The minute she had boarded the ship she knew he had been after her. She had fought her own urges for months but finally she had given in. Now, after six months of sleeping in his bed, she was growing tired of being the first mate's kept woman.

Before she had bedded him she'd been a respected and even admired member of the crew despite being the only woman aboard. She could tighten the mainsail and hoist the colors as well as any of her male counterparts. She particularly loved taking the watch and no one complained about that. But after they had made love for the first time, she found the crew keeping their distance, and her chores were taken away one by one until all she did was sew shirts and entertain Danny in his cabin. She was starting to feel like one of the whores her brother Peter had warned her about.

That's not to say she did not enjoy her intimate times with Danny. In fact, she had felt part of herself awaken and she now understood why men were so infatuated with fornicating. It was liberating and intense and it simply felt amazing. For the first three months or so every time they coupled it was like seeing stars in her eyes. But that pleasure became far less appealing when she realized she had been dubbed the ship wench. So she started avoiding his advances, claiming it was her monthly time or warning him that he didn't want to make her with child.

She had a month to go before they docked in Port Royal and all she had to show for it was a tanned complexion and a sullied name. She knew that now that she was no longer an innocent, a good match would be impossible to find. Part of her was relieved that once news of her situation got out, and she knew it would, suitors would no longer be lining up around the house for her. But she felt guilty that she had, in a way, dishonored her family.

As she made her way down the gang plank to step on land, one of their final stops before returning to Port Royal, she seriously considered never getting back on the ship. But the moment she did she felt a pain in her heart for her poor mother whom she knew was waiting for her back home. And for the first time she began to feel a tinge of regret.

_Three weeks later_

A week before the end of their voyage, they ran into a storm that had the entire ship pitching from bow to stern. The captain immediately called all hands on deck and the crew went to work, trying to prevent their vessel from ending up in a watery grave. Though Danny had ordered Addy to stay in his cabin, she had ignored him. As she attempted to help tie down one of the cabins, a large wave came crushing down on the opposite side of the ship, dragging Danny into the choppy sea below. The crew was so busy, she was the only one who had seen it happen and she cried. But the roar of the wind and the storm drowned her out.

She let go of the ropes, her palms slicing open as they slipped through her hands with the weight of the cannon. Ignoring the pain she ran to where she had seen Danny go overboard and though she heard her crewmates pleas to stop, she dove head first into the oblivion.

Frantically she scanned for him but he was no where to be seen. Another large wave crashed down onto the ship and she was dragged underneath. Her legs kicked furiously as she frantically worked to surface. But wave after wave shoved her deeper and deeper down into the depths. She was drowning, she felt her energy wane and her lungs begin to gasp for air. This was it. She thought of her family as she stopped fighting and gave herself up to the ocean.

But death did not come. Suddenly she felt the waters around her calm and her energy recover. Uncertain of what was happening, she began to swim to the surface. She did not feel the need for air and her vision became much clearer. Right before she reached the surface, she spotted him, floating on his back about 30 meters away from her. She reached him in record time and felt for his pulse. It was weak, but he was still breathing.

She looked around and found the storm had mysteriously stopped. The crew was already sending down a boat to bring back the body of their first mate. Addy wrapped her arm around his middle and, with a strength she didn't know she possessed, dragged him over to the boat. With the help of a few of the crew she lifted him and herself into the dingy, wrapping her body around his to warm him up. The boat rowed back to the ship and was hauled back up on deck. The men carried Danny out. He was already beginning to come to. Addy went to stand up but found her legs to be useless. Angrily she rolled herself out of the dingy and onto the deck.

She heard audible gasps and she looked up. Every man, including the half-conscious Danny, was staring at her, specifically, at her legs.

She looked down to find that her pants had ripped apart and in place of her legs was a long, shimmering green tail.

That night Danny came to Addy in his cabin. The tail had turned back into legs. She lay facing away from the door, her body curled into a tight ball. He could see her shaking in her night clothes.

"Cold?" he asked her and she sat up quickly.

When she saw who it was she visually relaxed but only slightly.

"I think you know that's not the problem," she replied.

"Did you know you were a, a . . . um . . ."

"A mermaid?" she asked bitterly.

He shrugged and she sighed, realizing he was only trying to help her.

"That's never happened before. I mean, strange things have happened to me in the past. But never that. I basically grew up in the ocean. You remember how much I used to swim as a kid? Papa used to call me his little starfish."

Danny smiled at the memory.

"But that's never happened. Did you see how they all looked at me? How you looked at me?"

Her head hung down.

"I knew I was never a Taylor," she said as she felt tears well up in her eyes.

Danny moved to her side and picked up her chin, "Don't you ever say that. With your command of sailing and love of the sea, you are a Taylor through and through. And no matter if you're a mermaid or not, your papa would be, no, he will be proud of you when you finally find him."

His words soothed Addy and her tears held back. But when he came towards her, she recoiled.

"I haven't been honest with you these past few months, Danny," she said looking away.

He halted and the right side of his mouth ticked up in a sad smile, "I know you've been avoiding me. I know that whatever we had on this ship can't continue because it doesn't make you happy."

She looked shocked to hear him speak.

"I wish you had told me the truth," he continued, "but part of me was glad you didn't because I was selfish. I didn't want to hear it."

"You aren't upset, Danny?" she asked nervously.

"How can I be upset with the lass who saved my life?" he said dramatically throwing his arms out to both sides. She laughed then and it warmed his heart.

"We had a good go of it, didn't we? But it wasn't fair of me to treat you like I did when one of the reasons I like you so much is because of your ability to do anything you put your mind to."

"What about what happened on deck? No one can ever know," she felt her stomach once again fill with dread.

"I've told the crew that this a matter of privacy. And you've been good to them so there's no reason for them to do you any ill. But if they do say something, they're all a bunch of drunkards anyways so who would believe 'em?" He was half serious but spoke with a light tone.

"It does seem impossible, doesn't it?

"Well Addy, you've always been just a wee bit impossible."

The next week they docked in Port Royal and Danny walked Addy back to her family home. He vowed that if she ever decided to go out looking for her father and James again, she need only ask and he'd get her on another ship out.

Danny was a good man. She had known that all the long. And she had to be honest with herself, he was fantastic in bed. But unlike what she had believed when she first boarded the ship a year before, she was not in love with him.

As he left her at the end of the path to her house, she realized that all she brought home was more questions about who she was.

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><p>AN: Thanks to Linalove, Kit-cat99, las131984 and Nikkitosa for their encouragement. If you have any comments, please review?

Thanks!

Tink


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